


Radiant Princess

by sendcatnipmadam



Series: Halloween Hearts 2020 [3]
Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Creepy, Ficlet, Gen, Major Character Injury, Pre-Canon, Rikai if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:21:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27553756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sendcatnipmadam/pseuds/sendcatnipmadam
Summary: A drabble about a girl with a heart of strong light.
Series: Halloween Hearts 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1970770
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	Radiant Princess

**Author's Note:**

> Here's a drabble that's been sitting in my drafts since October, but since Melody of Memory currently out I suppose now was a good time to finish it

The little girl who had appeared on Destiny Islands during a meteor shower was a surprise to the town, indeed. She was found unconscious on the beach, with no boat or parents in sight. Some assumed she had washed up there, but her dried clothes said otherwise. Nothing was known about her, and asking for any information was a fruitless effort, as the poor girl apparently had amnesia.

Where did she come from? How did she end up on the islands? Who and where were her parents? 

Her answers to all these questions would always be the same: giving a wide, innocent smile and exclaim "I don't know!" in a cheery, worriless tone before running off to play with the other kids, who had expectantly welcomed her into their little group with open arms. Given how easily she got along with them in such a short time, one would think she had always been one of them. When spending a few seconds with her, it wasn't hard to figure out why. 

The girl, whom the village decided to name "Kairi" after the ocean she was found beside, seemed to carry an ethereal aura wherever she went. Her indigo eyes sparkled like the Milky Way. Whenever she flashed that innocent, pearly smile, everyone around her couldn't help but smile back. It seemed that her presence alone could lift any gloomy, low atmosphere she'd enter. People of all ages and even animals alike gravitated towards her, their heavy spirits lifted by her innocent, playful nature.

To call her a ray of sunshine was an understatement-she might as well have been the sun itself. 

It wasn't long before Kairi was nicknamed "The Sun Princess", and to some people, was even treated like one. Numerous children have gathered around her to act as her guard, a subconscious pact to keep her safe and sound. After all, these children thought, a princess needed some brave, strong knights to protect her. The leader of this little band was Riku. Turns out that reserved albino rich kid had grown quite attached to Kairi. 

How could he not? From the moment he first met her it was like being bathed in warmth. Everything from her melodious peals of laughter to how she would always look on the bright side and have fun without a care in the world. Those little things lit up Riku's dim and lonely world, and he was determined to keep that light shining. So he and his best friend Sora, who was more than eager to help out, gathered a bunch of other kids to create their little brigade, watching and escorting the girl from morning to evening. Kairi reacted with that usual bright-eyed smile and went along with it, while adults looked on, seeing it as nothing more than another game of pretend. 

It wasn't all seriousness, as Kairi would invite the kids for numerous games. Racing, hide and seek, battling, all the childhood classics. Today on their little island was a simple game of tag, and Riku was it. 

"Can't catch me!" Kairi taunted. Riku pursued the giggling princess, who had always took the chase in odd directions, this time dashing across the sand where the waves lapped over. Riku picked up his speed, clouds of sand kicked up behind him as he tried to close the distance between him and Kairi. Most likely in an attempt to lose him, Kairi turned toward the racing area, a big mistake. By the time they were at the top Riku was already on her heels, a hand shot out to tag her....

And push her right off the edge. 

Kairi didn't even make a cry as she fell, and Riku heard a loud cracking sound from the bottom. He felt his trembling arm drop do his side as he went to look over the ledge.

"Riku!" he heard Sora call from behind. "What happened?"

Riku's mouth was open but his voice wouldn't work. His mind blank with shock at the sight of Kairi's small, bird-like body sprawled on the ground, her neck bent at an unnatural angle. The white sand around her head had been stained red. 

"Riku," Sora said again, the fear detected in his voice. "What happened to Kairi?"

Riku swallowed the nausea, straining out three feeble words.

"C-Call...the adults."

"Huh?"

Sora tried to look down below, but Riku pushed him back.

"Call the adults, Sora!" he cried, his voice shaky and hoarse. _"Now!"_

Sora stumbled back, disturbed at Riku's outburst, but after a moment of silence, he nodded and dashed away without another word. Riku staggered down towards Kairi, who had not moved or even made a sound. Her eyes were glassy and reflected the afternoon sky. Her fair complexion had turned ghostly pale while still having that warming smile frozen on her lips. Horrified, Riku fell to his knees. He could feel a sharp chill creeping in on him, as if the sun had disappeared.

"Kairi," he moaned, tears stinging his eyes.

How? How could he do this? How could he hurt the very girl he had strived to protect? How would the others take his big slip up? As his thoughts spun, Riku could feel it, that long lost feeling he would have before meeting Kairi. The thought that bad things would happen. That he would get in trouble with others. That no matter what he did, he was powerless against the dark. 

Then from the corner of his eye, Riku saw a slight twitch. Slowly and crookedly, Kairi's head turned over.

"Ri...ku?" she croaked.

"K-Kairi?" Riku squeaked. 

Before he knew it, the blood around her started to glitter to a brilliant gold, before dissipating completely, leaving the sand a clean white like it was before, as if nothing had happened there at all. In a series of gut-wrenching cracks, Kairi pulled herself up, her entire neck and back straightened and good as new. 

"Well!" she said with a cheeky grin. "Looks like I'm it!"

"Wha...how...?" Riku stuttered, not believing what he was seeing. Kairi was the same as ever, smiling and playing around like she always had. Like the game was still going on and she hadn't fallen and...

But before he could question what just happened, a footstep were heard behind them. Sora had brought back a group of adults, lead by the mayor, Kairi's guardian.

"Everything alright over here, kids?" he asked. 

"Uh huh!" Kairi replied, jumping to her feet. "I just tripped, but I'm all good, see?"

She spun around giggling, earning a mutual chuckle from everyone but Riku, who was still shaken up on the ground. 

"Aw, that's all?" Sora said. "Don't scare me like that, Riku!...Riku?" 

Riku was still on the ground, shaken up by everything happening so fast.

"What's wrong, Riku?" Kairi smirked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Riku looked his friend, so cheerful, so sincere. There was no sign of harm anywhere on her body, no lies or fronts to be seen. Unlike Riku, she had completely gotten over what had occurred several moments ago. It might as well have never happened. 

"Well, since we're here now," declared the mayor. "I say we all go home for supper! How's that sound, young'uns?"

"Okay!" said Kairi, trailing after them.

"You coming, Riku?" Sora asked, not far behind.

"Er, yeah!" Riku finally snapped out of his trance and picked himself up to follow the others.

He glanced at where Kairi was laying, that gruesome image still clear as day in his mind. He shivered, not wanting to spend another thought on it. Kairi was fine, her warm, comforting light untouched and unaffected. She had pretty much left behind her injury, forgetting it, almost.

Perhaps it was best for Riku to do the same. 

**Author's Note:**

> I just...really like it when the dark side of light is explored (no pun intended)
> 
> Also for the 5 people still invested in my Enchanted fic, I'll be getting back to work on that


End file.
